Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Does your hand feel numb? Does the numbness only involve the hand area (palm and fingers) and not the arm? If so, you are probably experiencing carpal tunnel syndrome.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by pressure on the median nerve in the front of your wrist. Believed to be caused by too much pressure or work using the hands, the syndrome is commonly experienced by musicians, carpenters, construction workers and people who use computers for many hours throughout the day.

In its early stages, symptoms may include tingling or numbness in your thumb, index finger, middle finger and outer border of your ring finger.

What causes the numbness?

“Carpal tunnel syndrome happens when the space in the carpal tunnel becomes smaller or the tendons in the tunnel thicken, placing pressure on the median nerve. Anatomically, the carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway at the palm side of your hand (near the wrist).

“Through this opening passes the median nerve and several tendons used to bend the fingers. In carpal tunnel syndrome, there could be some swelling and narrowing of this opening, thus compressing the median nerve,” explains Dr Lim Li Aik, consultant orthopaedic and trauma surgeon of Oriental Melaka Straits Medical Centre.

Surgery is recommended when a patient does not respond to non-surgical treatments or the syndrome has become severe.

Surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome is an outpatient procedure, which means it does not require an overnight stay in the medical centre.

“During surgery, the surgeon will make a single cut in the front of your wrist at the base of your palm. The surgeon will then open the carpal tunnel and release the transverse carpal ligament to relieve the pressure on your nerve,” says Dr Lim.

Dr Gopinath adds, “After surgery, patients may experience brief discomfort that lasts from 24 to 72 hours. Recovery time varies depending on the patient’s age, general health, severity of carpal tunnel syndrome and the length of time symptoms have been present.